befell thee of wonders and rarities, for I have told thee what
befell me.' 'O my brother,' answered I, 'I am bound by a solemn
oath.' And he said, 'O my friend, break thine oath and tell me.'
Quoth I, 'Indeed, I fear the issue of this.' [But he importuned
me] till I told him all, whereat he marvelled. Then I went away
from him and abode a long while, [without farther news].

One day, another of my friends came to me and said 'A neighbour
of mine hath invited me to hear [music]. [And he would have me go
with him;] but I said, 'I will not foregather with any one.'
However, he prevailed upon me [to accompany him]; so we repaired
to the place and found there a man, who came to meet us and said,
'[Enter,] in the name of God!' Then he pulled out a key and
opened the door, whereupon we entered and he locked the door
after us. Quoth I, 'We are the first of the folk; but where are
their voices?'[FN#128] '[They are] within the house,' answered
he. 'This is but a privy door; so be not amazed at the absence of
the folk.' And my friend said to me, 'Behold, we are two, and
what can they avail to do with us?' [Then he brought us into the
house,] and when we entered the saloon, we found it exceeding
desolate and repulsive of aspect Quoth my friend, 'We are fallen
[into a trap]; but there is no power and no virtue save in God
the Most High, the Supreme!' And I said, 'May God not requite
thee for me with good!'

Then we sat down on the edge of the estrade and presently I
espied a closet beside me; so I looked into it and my friend said
to me, 'What seest thou?' Quoth I, 'I see therein good galore and
bodies of murdered folk. Look.' So he looked and said, 'By Allah,
we are lost men!' And we fell a-weeping, I and he. As we were